


It's where my demons hide

by ChaNssi



Category: VIXX
Genre: (I like to make them kiss and I'm not sorry about that), AU, Dance Teacher Hakyeon, Dark-ish, Horror-ish, Kinda suggestive at places, M/M, YouTuber Hyuk, but not just your everyday horror, the strangulation scene is pretty dark Ig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 23:16:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15520866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaNssi/pseuds/ChaNssi
Summary: Hakyeon, afraid of everything, doesn't know why he goes along on his boyfriend's ghost hunting vlogs (A lie - he enjoys reading people's reactions to it, even if they are laughing at his expense).Most of the time it's just them being scared over nothing and laughing about it afterwards, but after a spirit attaches itself to Hakyeon during an outing, it's no longer very funny.





	It's where my demons hide

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, reader.  
> I've stopped by to let you know that there is a possibility that I might end up triggering a few of you, so please proceed with caution. It gets a bit heavy later on in the story.  
> There are no mentions of self harm, suicidal thoughts or such, but there certainly has been included a scene that might not be recommended for you if you are not in a very good state of mind. I did try to make it seem as smooth flowing as possible, without exactly using obvious words to describe the scene. But I figured it best to at least put up a small warning. Actually, a big warning is in need maybe. Strangulation, but not of the sexual kind is mentioned and described.  
> Please do not let that deter you.  
> I'd love it if you would give it a chance regardless.  
> Thank you!

_The brightest light casts the darkest shadow_

*****

*****

*****

 

The night was calm, almost eerily so, breezeless and barely moonlit as he dragged himself along the absolutely unlit pathway, a single torch in one hand and the other lugging a heavy bag with contents he'd rather not pay much mind to. He trudged down the pathway that was clearly unused, years' worth of twigs, dead leaves, and other debris littering the gravel, making the entire front yard seem like something straight out of a horror movie, one he wished absolutely no part of.

 

He could barely see beyond a five feet radius, the torch being more of a burden than helpful. He sighed and grumbled under his breath, frowning to himself, wondering why in the world he kept agreeing, albeit reluctantly, to all of his boyfriend's whims and fancies. He silently thanked whatever gods were listening to him that at least it wasn't raining. He wasn't sure he would've have survived the trip if it was thundering and storming.

 

The closer he went to the building, the more ominous a feeling crept in, sinking into his bones, making his skin crawl, almost making him turn around and leave the place. He didn't, though, as he did not want to seem like a coward, especially considering he had recently talked extremely big about how much of a courageous person he was.

 

"Who in their right mind would want to trespass into an abandoned mental asylum, of all places, right at the witching hour," he grumbled under his breath. He could make out the outline of the dilapidated building, as well as a figure waving his hands enthusiastically at him. His frown deepened.

 

"Hey! You made it!" Sanghyuk's voice carried over in the stillness, loud and clear.

 

Hakyeon did not bother replying, as he simply flung the heavy equipment bag right at his boyfriend, hoping it would do some damage to his body.

 

Sanghyuk caught the bag, grinning widely, and slung it over his shoulder. "Is that how you treat your poor boyfriend who's been waiting for you for at least an hour in this freezing cold?" He pulled Hakyeon close by snaking an arm around his waist and tapped on his lips, "Gimme a kiss?"

 

Hakyeon scowled at him and tried to lean away in his grasp. "Absolutely not, you jerk! You woke me up from my beauty sleep and threatened me to come to your rescue. Why would I indulge in any more of your stupid requests?"

 

"Because you love me," Sanghyuk pouted.

 

Stupid Sanghyuk and stupid Sanghyuk's pouts, but he was definitely not going to give in to his man-child of darkness.

 

"Ugh, I hate you, you know that?" Hakyeon hit him on his arm, "Now let me go! Don't you have work to do, Mr. Soul Searcher?"

 

Sanghyuk sighed and let Hakyeon go, but not before he leaned in to peck slightly on his lips.

 

"Ah the troubles of being a YouTuber," he mused as he set the bag on the dusty ground and pulled the zippers to reveal the contents. He gave it a once over and turned to smile at Hakyeon. "Thank you! I was such an idiot to forget these at home. You're a Lifesaver,"

 

Hakyeon huffed, arms crossed over his chest, "Of course I am. But that's not the point. What is the idea of going into that place at this time of the night, Sanghyuk?" Hakyeon tapped a foot on the ground and raised an eyebrow, hoping his glare was just as intimidating as he felt it was.

 

Sanghyuk looked up at him from his perch on the ground where he kept piling up all his equipment next to himself, "Aw don't glare, it's not that bad. It's just another expedition that Nightmares wanted," his eyes twinkled.

 

"Don't call them that. What sort of a fandom name is Nightmare, even? Why not something bright and shiny? Even your damn alias is so creepy, Soul Searcher," Hakyeon shivered, but he didn't know if It was voluntary, or if it was because he was seriously starting to get the ickiest feeling just standing outside the building.

 

Sanghyuk stood up, his UV light torch in one hand, the camera in the other, and gestured for Hakyeon to loop his arms around him, just as they had done so many times.

 

Hakyeon gave him a once over and turned to look at the building. It was just as one would imagine an abandoned place to be like, paint peeling off in places, the door handle extremely rusted, not a source of light in the vicinity, and just plain old creepy. Hakyeon absolutely did not want to enter inside it.

 

"Nope, you go in. I'm not joining," he mumbled, not meeting Sanghyuk's eyes.

 

He felt an arm around his shoulder, and he turned towards its source, eyes meeting Sanghyuk's.

 

"Are you sure you don't want to jump in on the fun?" Sanghyuk's lips tilted slightly upwards.

 

Hakyeon shook his head, stepped out of Sanghyuk's awkward embrace and slumped against the wall adjacent to the door, gesturing for Sanghyuk to carry on.

 

"Alright, then. It won't take long, I should be out in half an hour at most," Sanghyuk said as he stepped into the doorway and let the entrance door shut close behind him.

 

Hakyeon shivered again, all alone in the cold night. He stared around at the surroundings and noticed an old swing in one corner of the dead garden. There was also a small slide and a merry-go-round, probably once a small playground. He pulled his phone out, it was barely past three, and it would, undoubtedly, take some more time for Sanghyuk to get all the footage he would need for his video.

 

He opened an application to play a game of Knife Hit, but soon got bored. He closed it, and, instead, logged into his YouTube account, deciding to go stalk Sanghyuk's comment sections. He loved going through them, he loved reading comments from random channel visitors, even if those comments usually were about how much they loved the way Hakyeon jumped out of his skin getting scared by his own shadow, or how fun it was to watch Hakyeon get chased by a dog. They made him smile.

 

He pulled up the most recent video and watched Sanghyuk and himself on that trekking trip to the forest that was notoriously known for the high rate of suicides. He shivered at the memory of the eerily silent forest, but it shook off soon, as he watched Sanghyuk goof around, a big smile playing on his face.

 

Hakyeon suddenly looked away from his phone screen, wondering why in God's name he was shivering so much on a midsummer's night. He turned his eyes around, trying to look for sources of where the cold draft could be drifting from, but nothing was visible. He shrugged to himself, despite the unsettling chill that was beginning to take over, and turned back to the video, only to look back up, suddenly having realised the swing set from earlier was actually swinging.

 

Hakyeon's heartbeat increased so rapidly, he wasn't even sure how he was still alive. He should've suffered a heart attack because of the sheer force with which the heart was pumping his blood. His eyes, trained on the swinging ropes, he gulped loudly, slowly inching towards the door. All he could think of was that he desperately needed to find Sanghyuk. 

 

He did not want to watch the swing, but it felt as if he was compelled to, he couldn't avert his eyes even when he wanted to do nothing but that. His eyes entirely focused on it, he failed to notice a flutter of white robes flitting around next to where he stood. He extended his hands to open the door, but his legs felt compelled to move towards the swing, almost in a trance, when the entity attached to the robes sidled right into his line of sight, breaking his contact with the swing.

 

Broken out of his trance and a bout of hysteria bubbling close to insanity, he quickly pulled open the door and stumbled in. "Sanghyuk, where are you," he screamed at the top of his lungs. He never should've gone there. He never should've picked up his goddamn phone when it rang at one in the morning. And he sure as hell never should've given Sanghyuk the slightest indication that he may actually enjoy spending time with him on his expeditions.

 

Hakyeon broke into a run, blindly trying to navigate through the darkness shrouding the hallways and rickety old furniture. He tried to call out again, but his voice was stuck in his throat, somewhere deep down, reluctant to come out. His breaths were coming out in little puffs and as he ran past one of the doorways, he did a double take when he thought there was a flash of light.

 

He retraced his steps and entered the room, barely able to make out a figure lying on the ground, but he would recognise that figure anywhere, no matter if he could see clearly or not.

 

"Sanghyuk?" he called out, his voice barely above a whisper.

 

He frowned. Why was he not moving? Why was he lying on the floor?

 

He tentatively took a step forward, and then a few more, until he was standing right next to the figure. He knelt onto the floor and put his hand out to turn Sanghyuk's body around when the only source of light in the room that had been from the camera, began to pulse in a sort of rhythm. It was almost blinding.

 

Just as he turned his attention back to Sanghyuk, the pulsations stopped, cutting off all the light in the room and Hakyeon blinked in the darkness, waving his hands in front of his eyes, trying to cut through the almost palpable obscurity. And then bright lights flashed right into his eyes, almost blinding him with the intensity.

 

Hakyeon blinked, his hands flying up to cover his eyes. He felt cold hands wrap around his wrist and tug slightly. He opened his eyes in a slit, testing out to see if the light was still as blinding, and deciding it was safe enough to open his eyes when nothing hit him directly, he opened them fully, only to close them back immediately.

 

He pulled his hands back as if electrocuted. Propping his knees up and burying his head in his hands, he began to rock. Eyes shut tight, prayers fell from his lips. But he couldn't stop the chill from seeping into his bones.

 

Did he really just..? No, it couldn't be. The place was supposed to be abandoned. It couldn't possibly have a little girl running around, especially not that late in the night. But, his mind couldn't even begin to fathom why the little girl was sitting so close to him, why she was putting her tiny hands on him, why she was trying to soothe him.

 

Sanghyuk. He needed Sanghyuk. Where was he?

 

"Hakyeon?" he heard his name. It was Sanghyuk. "Hakyeon, where are you? You're starting to freak me out."

 

Hakyeon really did want to speak out, to call out to him, to indicate his location, but he couldn't. Not when the little girl had taken to running her cold fingers through his hair. His voice just wouldn't make its way out.

 

"Hakyeon, I'm sorry! It was supposed to be a joke!" another voice he recognised very well. Jaehwan? And the voice was close.

 

He heard footsteps close to him, but he was afraid to open his eyes, to lift his head up. Instead, he kept up his rocking back and forth, at least he wouldn't die of hypothermia that way.

 

The shuffling got closer and then there was warmth. He felt hands on him again, but these were warm, familiar, all so Sanghyuk.

 

"Hakyeon?" Sanghyuk's voice sounded distant, as if there was a wall between them, even when he could feel his body radiating heat right next to him.

 

He felt hands on his shoulders, one of them lifting his face up from the crook of his arm. He reluctantly lifted his face up and opened his eyes ever so slightly. He could make out the outline of Sanghyuk's face.

 

Sanghyuk immediately engulfed him in a hug, Hakyeon pulled right up to his chest, and he patted him on the back.

 

Hakyeon buried his face deeper and inhaled shakily. His heart had finally begun its descent towards a normal speed, but, he couldn't shake the chill. It was etched a little too deep in his bones.

 

"What happened? Where were you?" Sanghyuk asked, rocking Hakyeon slightly.

 

"I don't know. I didn't like it outside, so I came in search of you. There was light in this room, and you…" Hakyeon hiccupped before continuing. "You were lying on the floor too, but when I came in, it became dark suddenly and you vanished. I… I don't know where you went and you scared me." He clutched Sanghyuk's shirt. "I thought you…" he couldn't complete the sentence.

 

Hakyeon's mind still flashed that image of Sanghyuk lying looking almost dead on the cold floor and he did not like it one single bit. What unsettled him the most was that somewhere deep inside, he knew his mind hadn't just conjured up an image out of nothing. He knew that it was a memory threatening to break out of its restraints.

 

Sanghyuk caressed his hair. "No, it's alright, I'm here. I'm not gone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for bringing you here. It was meant to be a joke. I didn't think it would affect you this much," Sanghyuk whispered to him.

 

Hakyeon's hand grip slackened.

 

"What do you mean?" he tried to push himself away from Sanghyuk's embrace but Sanghyuk only tightened his grip.

 

"With Jae? We planned to get you scared and catch some footage of it. That was today's mission. He was supposed to wear white robes and scare you,"

 

Hakyeon still didn't understand clearly. What he got scared of had nothing to do with Jaehwan. It was that little girl.

 

The very little girl who sidled right up to Hakyeon and had resumed her stroking of his hair.

 

Hakyeon shut his eyes. Nope, he wasn't going to be opening them anytime soon.

 

 

 

☙

 

 

Home hadn't felt like home in a while for Hakyeon. He couldn't explain it clearly, it was extremely small things, but it didn't feel right. In fact, Hakyeon would swear their home started to feel cold even in the middle of summer, which was absolutely not probable.

 

But of course, Sanghyuk didn't listen to him.

 

"It's all psychological, Hakyeon. You've been acting weird ever since that stupid prank," Sanghyuk sighed the second he entered their home, only to find Hakyeon wearing an extra large sweater and padding around in woollen socks.

 

Hakyeon startled when he heard Sanghyuk, he hadn't expected him home for another hour or so. "You just don't feel it," Hakyeon scowled at him, but he still went on his tiptoes to peck him on the lips lightly. "You're home early."

 

Sanghyuk immediately snaked an arm around Hakyeon's waist and pulled him close. "I wanted to come back early. I didn't stay back and left soon after classes."

 

Hakyeon smiled, satisfied, and closed in for another kiss, a proper one. "Did you miss–" a sudden crash got them to jump apart.

 

"What the fuck?" Hakyeon turned towards the source of the noise. He picked up the photo frame that had somehow fallen off the showcase. None of the windows were open, so it made absolutely no sense, whatsoever.

 

Sanghyuk came up behind him and picked the frame out of his hands. He swiped a finger along its edges. "It probably was on the edge. Might have fallen off by the vibrations when I closed the door."

 

Hakyeon frowned. That shouldn't have been possible, he was sure the frame had been kept properly in place. He had only just dusted the shelves after coming back from his studio. "Maybe," he commented, but an involuntary shiver still did run down his back.

 

"Let it go, it's really nothing," Sanghyuk placed the photograph back on the ledge and pulled Hakyeon away from there. "How was your day?"

 

Hakyeon knew Sanghyuk was only distracting him, but he complied. He never could resist him after all. "Not bad. The kids weren't exhausting today. Oh, there was a new student, too. A girl. She was extremely cute," He really did enjoy teaching dance to kids, but it was difficult at times. Yet he wouldn't trade what he did for the world.

 

Sanghyuk steered him towards the couch and pulled Hakyeon onto his lap. "That's nice. I'm glad you had fun," He rested his head on Hakyeon's shoulder. "I am exhausted today. Classes were fine, but I don't know why something or the other kept going awry."

 

Hakyeon ran his fingers through Sanghyuk's hair, "Oh?"

 

Sanghyuk sighed. "I was late, somehow. I never am. Then, in my hurry, I tripped and almost broke my neck. My bag snapped and all my books fell to the floor. I don't even know how, but one of my books even broke from its spine. I had to miss my lunch because I was called in by my professor. Apparently, one of my projects didn't get sent via mail and everything was hell today. That's why I got back early. I couldn't stay any longer,"

 

Hakyeon sighed and pulled Sanghyuk into a hug. He was almost straddling him at this point. "Go, take a shower. I'll get something to eat," he whispered to him and kissed him on the cheek.

 

Sanghyuk pulled away but didn't let Hakyeon get up. He grinned at him, "How about joining me in the shower? I'm sure that'll get my tiredness to go away."

 

Hakyeon flushed and swatted at his arms that were still gripping him on his waist. "So horny! Let me go, Sanghyuk! Or you'll have to starve,"

 

Sanghyuk pulled Hakyeon back towards himself, pressing Hakyeon close to his chest, "I get to eat you, though," he whispered in Hakyeon's ear.

 

Hakyeon blushed so hard he probably resembled a tomato, "Good Lord, who taught you to be so crude?" Hakyeon squirmed in his hold, suddenly feeling extremely hot. He needed to get out of the sweater he had donned.

 

"I learnt from the best, of course," Sanghyuk's grin just grew wider before he pulled Hakyeon's lips between his teeth and nipped lightly. He then let Hakyeon go, leaving him on the couch, extremely hot and uncomfortable, and slipped into the bathroom for a shower.

 

Hakyeon immediately got out of his sweater and muttered to himself that he spoilt a young child, and look where he was now. He blamed himself for creating a monster.

 

 

☙

 

 

Hakyeon hadn't felt as tired as he did in a long while, and it was a Saturday. Headaches started to bloom up whenever he did anything that was slightly more strength consuming than just sitting on the couch. It made no sense to him, considering he was home all day, He worked Monday through Friday, and usually helped Sanghyuk come up with ideas for new videos, or edit some to be uploaded on his channel on the weekends.

 

A week after the stupid incident he forced himself to forget, found Hakyeon with his feet propped up on the couch, a book and pencil in his hand, a cup of coffee on the table beside the couch and Sanghyuk occupying the rest of the space on it.

 

"Gosh, I don't understand, where do you think the material from last week has just disappeared to? I didn't delete it, and you don't even know how to delete it," Sanghyuk looked up from his laptop screen, a card reader, plugged in.

 

Hakyeon scowled at that comment but he didn't acknowledge it, "I don't know. Maybe there's some trouble with the card reader?" he suggested.

 

Sanghyuk picked up the other two card readers he had already tried and gave him a pointed look. "And before you suggest I should try your laptop, I already did."

 

"Then maybe you forgot to press record?"

 

"That's not possible, either. Half the video is here, to the point where I went in and I can even see Jae with his white robes. But, from the second you entered inside, the footage is just gone!"

 

Hakyeon frowned. That was strange. "Maybe the camera ran out of battery, then?"

 

"That's not possible, either! There's some footage from after I found you. Jae was carrying the camera then. I can even see you crying. Everything from in between is completely wiped clean."

 

Hakyeon moved closer to Sanghyuk and pulled the laptop onto his lap. He plucked the earphones and put them in to watch the video. As he watched, his expression darkened. "Okay, that was strange. How's that possible?"

 

Sanghyuk threw his hands up in the air. "I wish I knew! What do I do? I need to upload a video tomorrow!"

 

"Wait, so you really were going to upload a video of me screaming in terror," Hakyeon asked him incredulously.

 

Sanghyuk, bless him, at least had the courtesy to look sheepish, "But, that was the challenge."

 

Hakyeon immediately threw a hit in his direction, "How can you sell your boyfriend out like that," he almost screeched, and Sanghyuk laughed.

 

"Because you have the best reactions ever," he laughed.

 

"Fuck you Sanghyuk," Hakyeon got off the couch to grab himself a glass of water but

 

Sanghyuk pulled him by the wrist, causing Hakyeon's scowl to deepen. "What?"

 

When Sanghyuk did not bother deeming him with an answer, Hakyeon turned with his hand on his hip, a glare at the ready, "What's wrong with you, let me go get water." but his statement died in his mouth when he noticed Sanghyuk looking somewhere behind him.

 

Hakyeon looked behind himself, but there wasn't anything unusual, it was simply the kitchen. He waved a hand in front of Sanghyuk's eyes to snap him out of it. "Earth to Sanghyuk," he called out.

 

Sanghyuk suddenly snapped his eyes to Hakyeon's, shock written clear as day on his face. "The lights."

 

Well, that made no sense. "The lights? What lights?" Hakyeon prompted.

 

Sanghyuk frantically gestured to the kitchen and Hakyeon turned to see that the lights were on. "Well, what about it?" His patience was wearing thin, and he really needed water.

 

"They just came on," Sanghyuk's voice sounded so small, Hakyeon had begun to wonder what in the hell was wrong with him.

 

"That's not possible, Sanghyuk. Maybe you just noticed that they're on. Maybe we forgot to turn them off after washing the dishes," Hakyeon reasoned. It wasn't out of the ordinary. It did happen at times. He didn't understand why Sanghyuk was behaving so oddly.

 

"No. No, I saw them get turned on Hakyeon," Sanghyuk was serious.

 

Hakyeon finally smiled, having caught on. "If this is another one of your pranks, Sanghyuk, let me tell you, that I'm not falling for it." He moved closer to him, after having noticed the camera propped on the table, "I know you're short on time, and you have no idea for a new video, but, really, do you want to throw me under the bus again?"

 

Sanghyuk shook his head. "No, Hakyeon, you're not getting it. I'm not lying! The lights were off just a minute ago, I swear."

 

Hakyeon pressed his thumb to Sanghyuk's forehead to smoothen his wrinkles, "Oh, Darling, I'm sorry, but, you'll have to do better. But damn, you've improved your acting skills so much I wish you get cast in a movie. You'd be the hot male lead," Hakyeon chuckled.

 

Sanghyuk knitted his eyebrows again, and opened his mouth to argue when they both heard it.

 

It was the unmistakable sound of a pair of little feet running across the wooden flooring of their home, and an accompanying set of tinkering laughter.

 

Hakyeon froze, his arms suspended in mid-air. "Did you really have to go that far as to record sounds that are bound to scare me?" he dropped his hands and asked in a quiet voice.

 

"I swear, Hakyeon, I haven't done a thing, this time. You have to believe me," Sanghyuk tried to grab his hands again, but Hakyeon pulled away.

 

He didn't believe him. Not a single bit. "Liar," he whispered and began to walk away. And then he stopped dead in his tracks, his heart pounding in his chest.

 

It was her. The little girl from the asylum.

 

She stood, right smack in the centre of the kitchen, pointing to the water dispenser, and the lights turned off in the blink of an eye.

 

 

 

☙

 

 

 

He fell, to the floor, in a heap. Crumpled, he lay, when he felt strong arms pick him up. He was aware of what was happening around him, he tried to answer to Sanghyuk's cries and calls, but his mouth felt like it was clamped shut. His head felt light, but the rest of his body felt like lead. He felt it creep up. Almost like hot steel was poured over the tips of his fingers and toes and it travelled up his limbs, until it all collected at the base of his heart, covering it and holding it in a vice-like grip.

 

He heard Sanghyuk, "Hakyeon." but the voice was muffled, somehow like Sanghyuk was speaking to him from the other side of a closed door. "Hakyeon, please wake up,"

 

That threw him off. He was certainly awake. His eyes were open. He knew that because he was unable to snap his eyes away from the spot he had seen the girl in. She wasn't there, not anymore, but Hakyeon found himself drawn to the same spot, almost compelled to not let his eyes stray lest she appeared again.

 

Just as suddenly as the fatigue set in, it melted away, leaving him limp in Sanghyuk's arms. His head was throbbing.

 

"Fuck, Hakyeon please say something," the raw pleading in Sanghyuk's voice chipped a part of his heart away.

 

Hakyeon forced himself to look away from the kitchen doorway and found Sanghyuk's searching eyes. He opened his mouth, hoping to soothe Sanghyuk. He looked so worried and vulnerable, it physically hurt Hakyeon. But his throat felt parched.

 

He chose to grab Sanghyuk's shirt instead and pulled at the hem of it. Sanghyuk looked away, taking deep stuttering breaths before turning his eyes back to him. Sanghyuk gently caressed Hakyeon's face and swept stray strands of hair that had somehow gotten stuck to his forehead. Hakyeon hadn't known he had sweat.

 

"You scared me," Sanghyuk's voice was shaky, almost like he was on the verge of breaking down. Hakyeon didn't understand. Why was Sanghyuk acting like it was the end of the world? He was fine. He only felt slightly weak, but that was probably owed to skipping dinner.

 

Hakyeon tightened his grasp on Sanghyuk's shirt and managed to pull himself up. He braced himself against Sanghyuk's chest when he felt dizzy.

 

Sanghyuk grabbed his back and pulled him close to his chest. "Don't move. I'll get you water," he muttered and effortlessly pulled him up into his arms and deposited him onto the couch. He began to move away when Hakyeon grabbed his wrist and tugged at it.

 

Hakyeon shook his head, wondering if Sanghyuk understood he didn't want him to go.

Hakyeon's heart rate picked up and he propped himself up. "Don't," he whispered. His voice cracked, probably because of his parched throat.

 

Sanghyuk immediately knelt on the floor beside the couch and held his hand. "Don't you need some water?"

 

Hakyeon nodded, he did. But he wasn't in the state of mind to be okay if he was left alone for even just a second.  He was worried, he didn't want the girl to hurt Sanghyuk. A myriad of what-ifs running in his head. Sanghyuk was precious to him. "Don't leave me," he whispered. He'll survive without water for a while longer. He just really needed Sanghyuk to stay close by.

 

What frightened him more was the fact that Sanghyuk kept denying having seen the girl. Which made no sense to Hakyeon. She was right there. It would've been impossible for him to have missed her presence. Unless Sanghyuk was lying, but Hakyeon did not believe so.

 

 

☙

 

 

Hakyeon held his head in his hands, fingers pressing at his temples as he shook his head.

"No, I'm fine,"

 

Sanghyuk groaned in frustration. "There's something obviously wrong, Hakyeon,"

 

Hakyeon hated hospitals. Something about those pristine white hallways and beeping sounds and the distinct smell of death that couldn't be erased even with gallons of disinfectant made Hakyeon want to throw up. He had absolutely no intentions of giving in to Sanghyuk's request of visiting the doctor to get his head checked.

 

Sure, he was having headaches in a frequency much higher than he'd ever had previously, but they weren't something a pill or two of Advil couldn't take care of. He was a dancer, he was used to fractures and ligament tears. A little headache wouldn't kill him. But Sanghyuk wasn't listening to his arguments.

 

"I won't die because of this, Sanghyuk," Hakyeon looked up at his boyfriend. "You cannot force me to go to the hospital," He was worried, he wouldn't deny it. But hospitals were a no go.

 

Sanghyuk almost growled, pacing the floor of their living room. "And you call me adamant, fucking hypocrite," he muttered under his breath, not giving a damn if Hakyeon heard him or not. He took deep breaths, trying to ease some of his anger and gripped Hakyeon's shoulders. "I'm worried, alright? I'll come with you. So please. Don't be so stubborn," He was almost pleading.

 

Hakyeon really wanted to tell him, yes, to tell that if it's for him, he'll do anything. But he couldn't.  "Anything but that," he replied.

 

Sanghyuk let go of Hakyeon's shoulders. He knew there was nothing in the world that would convince Hakyeon otherwise. "Will you at least tell me if it gets worse? I'll think of other alternatives,"

 

Hakyeon nodded. He could certainly do that. He could.

 

Sanghyuk smiled softly, brushing away a few stray strands of hair that fell onto Hakyeon's forehead, "You won't, will you? I know for certain you won't tell me,"

 

Hakyeon refused to meet his eyes, even when he involuntarily leaned into Sanghyuk's touch. Of course, he wouldn't. He had no intentions of burdening Sanghyuk anymore than necessary.

 

His silence was answer enough, but Sanghyuk did not argue. Instead, "Will you go for a stroll with me? The weather seems nice enough," Sanghyuk brandished his arm towards Hakyeon's hand, waiting for him to take it.

 

Hakyeon's lips curved up slightly. "Gladly,"

 

It wasn't extremely cold, yet Hakyeon felt the need to put on something warm. He grabbed a thin jacket on their way out. It certainly was a nice night. Walking down the almost empty streets, with the street lights working silently, a flicker now and then, and a buzz or two of lazy flies, Hakyeon felt relaxation seep in and he hummed under his breath.

 

"Thank you," Hakyeon muttered quietly and squeezed Sanghyuk's hand in his. It had been a long time since either of them had the time to simply take a walk after dinner.

 

Sanghyuk faked a surprised look, wiping a dramatic tear off his cheek. "That's sudden. What's the occasion?" He raised an eyebrow.

 

Hakyeon pouted slightly. "What do you mean, you insufferable bastard? I always say nice things to you,"

 

Sanghyuk laughed, swinging their linked arms higher and more enthusiastically. "That's only when you want something from me,"

 

Hakyeon scowled and kicked him in the shin, "Idiot. That's what you do. Not me,"

 

"Oh, that's not fair! I always say nice things to you, old man," Sanghyuk stuck his tongue out.

 

Instead of his usual "I hate you", Hakyeon stepped close and pulled himself up to Sanghyuk's ears, standing on tiptoes. He leaned in, and making his voice extremely low, he whispered, "I never knew old men had the stamina to keep up with your fantasies,"

 

Sanghyuk inhaled sharply. Narrowing his eyes, he snaked an arm around Hakyeon's waist, holding him flush against his chest. "We're in public, you know. Don't you dare pull a stunt,"

 

Hakyeon laughed, "Cute,"

 

Sanghyuk immediately made a face and pulled back, "Eww,"

 

Hakyeon smacked him once, still laughing. "Idiot," He walked, facing Sanghyuk and his back towards the street. Sanghyuk faked an expression of pain and rubbed his arm.

 

Sanghyuk's expression of fake pain suddenly morphed into concern, and just as Hakyeon stopped walking, wondering what had happened, something hard rammed into his back, sending him propelling forwards, right into Sanghyuk's arms, who had managed to get to him just before he hit the ground.

 

The sound of blaring horns was so prominent he almost didn't hear his name being called out.

 

"Hakyeon!" Sanghyuk's voice was shaky, concern and fear rippling through every syllable.

 

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt," Hakyeon tried to sit up. He felt fine, the vehicle hadn't managed to hurt him much, but Sanghyuk didn't let go. So he held on to him anyway.

 

Hakyeon craned his neck, trying to catch the trailing ends of the vehicle that hit him. Maybe he'd be able to catch a few digits on the number plate. But his breath caught in his throat when lifeless eyes met his, looking at him from the exact same spot he knew the vehicle was last spotted.

 

Hakyeon shivered. His breath hitched.

 

It certainly wasn't from any cold.

 

 

☙

 

 

Hakyeon was worried. He wouldn't admit it, but he was. He couldn't for the life of him understand why in the world he was the only one to be seeing that girl everywhere. It had escalated recently. The previous night, he'd been with Sanghyuk, cuddling in bed, and she was there, right next to him, staring quietly into his eyes, sending shivers down his spine.

 

And Sanghyuk couldn't fucking see her.

 

Hakyeon had begun to wonder if he was going mad.

 

He shook his head as he walked down the corridor to his dance classroom. It was a few minutes to class and his mood immediately lifted when he saw tiny shoes lined outside the door. He really did love the kids.

 

"Good evening," he smiled at them cheerfully. He wondered why it suddenly became colder, but he didn't comment on it.

 

The chattering around the room immediately stopped and they all turned to face him at the front. They grinned collectively. What he loved the most was having an assortment of students, all ranging from four to eight. His older students were in another session.

 

"What are we learning today?" one of the boys, Seungho quipped, the others agreeing enthusiastically.

 

Hakyeon frowned and tapped his chin, looking thoughtful. "I don't know. What do you want to learn?"

 

Soohyun jumped up and down in her place, raising her hand, waiting for Hakyeon to give her the permission. With a flick of his wrist, she was free to speak up. "It doesn't matter! Whatever you feel like teaching!"

 

Hakyeon smiled fondly at her and the rest of his kids. "Ah, you guys are the best," he gushed. They really were. "Alright then, let's get into three columns, I'll teach you a routine I've recently been working on,"

 

Getting them into position, he started off with warm up. A bit of stretching and running around the room. Once finished, he plugged the music in and danced to it alone, letting the students watch. They gushed about how nice it seemed, and how excited they were to try it out.

 

As the kids began to follow his steps, the chill in the room started to get to him more than when he entered. He pulled his sweater closer. He wondered why his body hadn't warmed up yet. Usually, he would've been drenched with sweat halfway through the class.

 

He shrugged it off and walked around the classroom, correcting positions and re-teaching the steps. He was still proud of how quick they were to follow.

 

Something moved in the periphery of his eyesight, and he turned to look at the streak of white. It was just Soohyun. He turned his attention back to the kids. He moved towards her when he felt she was moving a bit too stiffly.

 

He frowned. That wasn't why he snapped his eyes towards her. It was her eyes, somehow glinting in the dull light of the classroom. It was her face, somehow gaunt. It was her smile, somehow menacing. It was her movement, so stiff, so lifeless.

 

Hakyeon shivered. It couldn't be. Not in his place of work.

 

But something compelled him to move forward. It was almost like her eyes had cast a spell on him, making him move towards her. Hakyeon felt anger and frustration bubble up inside of him. It was almost overwhelming. And the mix of profound sadness choked him. He didn't understand why.

 

When he reached her, he didn't recognise Soohyun's features. Instead, he saw the little girl's face, smiling up at him.

 

He snapped.

 

It wasn't something he could explain. The sheer force of all the pent-up negative emotions taking over his body. His hands rose up of their own accord, they wrapped around tender flesh. He squeezed. Sweet pleasure began to course through him. Relief so sweet, he had no words for it.

 

He started to feel better than he had in a long while as he watched colour drain from the girl's face, as her features scrunched up, as he heard screams. He felt small arms tug at his legs, at his waist, heard voices scream at him. But it felt like all of it was happening behind a veil. The world had narrowed down to him and the girl, everything else faded into the background.

 

Hakyeon heard his name being called out. Sanghyuk? His eyes suddenly wavered. They narrowed in on his hands. He stepped back, snatching them away.

 

_What the fuck had he done?_

 

There were arms around him, pulling him back, away from a crying and coughing Soohyun. He felt disassociated from reality. He was pushed back against the wall. There were people in the room gathering all the kids.

 

Sanghyuk. He had heard Sanghyuk. His eyes searched the room. He found his eyes looking right back at him, concern clearly written all over his face.

 

They needed to talk.

 

 

☙

 

 

Hakyeon was concerned. He was also convinced beyond a doubt that he was being possessed. "You need to get an exorcist or a shaman of some sort. Please, Sanghyuk. It's getting too much. The girl just doesn't want to leave me alone,"

 

"No, Hakyeon. What you need is a doctor. Not a shaman," Sanghyuk shook his head as he paced the floor. He wasn't angry at Hakyeon. He was worried. Not just for Hakyeon, but also for those around him if the incident from earlier was any indication.

 

Hakyeon held his head in his hands, knees propped up. He sat, leaning against the wall and rocked slightly. "No, no you don't get it,'

 

Sanghyuk walked up to him and dropped to his knees. "Then explain. What is it that's making you do such dangerous things?"

 

Hakyeon lifted his head, eyes boring into Sanghyuk's. "I've told you. It's the little girl,"

 

Sanghyuk almost growled in frustration. "No, Hakyeon. There isn't any girl. You're hallucinating,"

 

Hakyeon shrank back slightly. But his voice did not waver as he shouted at Sanghyuk. "I'm not mad, Sanghyuk,"

 

Sanghyuk got up, running his hand through his hair. "Fuck, Hakyeon, I know. I'm not suggesting. But I think it best if you would just accept it for fuck's sake, that you really need to get checked up,"

 

"Sanghyuk, get me a fucking shaman," Hakyeon suddenly got up. "Or better yet, don't. I'll get one myself,"

 

Sanghyuk caught Hakyeon's wrist just as he was about to walk away. "Listen to me," His voice came out strained.

 

Hakyeon wordlessly waited for him to continue, pulling his wrist back and cradling it in his other hand.

 

Sanghyuk sighed. "Alright, how about this? I'll get you a shaman. But if he doesn't think anything's wrong, will you please see a doctor?"

 

Hakyeon weighed his options. It sounded fair. "Okay," he nodded, albeit reluctantly.

 

The shaman made his appearance the next day, complete with his hanbok and drum in hand. When Sanghyuk opened the door, the _baksu_ waltzed in, fluttering around to every corner. He chanted something under his breath, his lips moving to no sound all the time. Hakyeon would have thought him pretty had it not been for the sudden, erratic movements.

 

He came to a stop right in front of Hakyeon and waved his drum diagonally across Hakyeon's front and back. He brandished a vial of some sort of liquid in it. Having muttered some more prayers, he kissed the cork of the vial and popped it off, and doused Hakyeon with half the bottle.

 

Hakyeon flinched, not expecting the sudden shower. He looked towards Sanghyuk who simply shrugged at him.

 

The shaman suddenly began to shake violently, almost dropping the glass vial and the drum in his hands. Hakyeon swooped forward to catch the man just before he hit the floor. He helped him onto the couch in the living room. Sanghyuk appeared with a glass of water.

 

"Is something wrong?" Hakyeon asked, concerned for the shaman's safety.

 

"A girl," The shaman kept up with the shivering, thankfully accepting the glass of water from Sanghyuk.

 

Hakyeon hadn't expected such a deep voice from a man undoubtedly younger than him. But his words made his stomach lurch. "What?" he croaked.

 

The shaman's hands were suddenly on Hakyeon's shoulders, gripping him with a strength he wouldn't have expected of a spiritual being. It hurt. "You see her, don't you? The little girl. With pigtails. Wearing a frock,"

 

Hakyeon shook in the shaman's grasp. He slowly turned his eyes to Sanghyuk, silently saying an ‘I told you so'. He gulped loudly, his hands shaking. He fisted them and held them close to his body, willing the nerves to settle down. "Yes," he nodded finally.

 

The shaman flew from the couch and went to stand in the kitchen, in the exact same spot the girl was seen the other night. "I sense her," He waved his drum around again, jutting his ears out to listen to whatever he was trained to listen to.

 

He was back at Hakyeon's side. Pushing Sanghyuk who had taken Hakyeon's shaking hands into his aside, he gripped him once again. "Tell me about her,"

 

Hakyeon searched for Sanghyuk again. He needed his support. He doubted he'd get through it alone.

 

Sanghyuk understood. He walked over and placed his hands on his back, and began to rub soothing circles, hoping to relax Hakyeon some.

 

Hakyeon took a deep shuddering breath, trying to expel the face of the girl from behind his eyes. "She's four? Five? I don't know. I can't say. All I know is that no one else can see her but me,"

 

The shaman snapped his eyes to Sanghyuk's.

 

Sanghyuk shook his head. "No, I don't see anyone,"

 

"Tell me more," The shaman seemed to have taken residence right where he stood at the junction of the kitchen and the living room. He pulled a small mat from the inside of his hanbok and sat down on it. Bringing out a hand fan, he began to wave that around along with the drum.

 

Hakyeon decided to sit on the floor, a little distance away from the shaman. "She's been following me since the night at the asylum," He shivered at the sheer memory.

 

"Okay," The shaman nodded. He pulled out incense sticks and lit them. He gestured for them to be silent as he moved his lips again to soundless chants. He shouted in between, waving the fan wildly. He then got up, and closing his eyes, he muttered loud enough for them to hear, "Oh holy spirit, give me the strength to pull the offender out, give me the strength to communicate,"

 

And then he stood still.

 

Hakyeon sagged into Sanghyuk's grip, holding on for everything.

 

The shaman snapped his eyes open, staring at a spot right behind Hakyeon and Sanghyuk.

 

Hakyeon felt the chill descend. He gulped as he turned to look at whatever the shaman had found, and he immediately closed his eyes, burying his head in Sanghyuk's chest.

Sanghyuk still couldn't see her.

 

"Tell me what you see," the shaman's voice made Hakyeon's skin crawl. It sounded ominous.

 

"Her," he croaked out, knowing he wouldn't get the help needed if he kept his mouth shut. At least, Sanghyuk wouldn't be able to force him to see a doctor.

 

"Describe her,"

 

Hakyeon shook his head. He did not want to look at those lifeless eyes again.

 

"Now" The shaman's voice was demanding.

 

Hakyeon took a deep breath before he lifted his head again to look at her. She'd come closer, almost eye level to his own, standing just a few feet behind Sanghyuk, smiling at him.

 

"She's smiling," He needed another breath. "She… she's wearing a red dress. Polka dots," He couldn't continue.

 

Tears sprung to his eyes as he felt Sanghyuk's breath hitch and his arms tighten around his waist. He was earnestly crying when he noticed something he'd never noticed before. "There's …." He choked slightly. "there's a scar. On her head,"

 

He couldn't look at her anymore. Heart-wrenching sadness seemed to engulf his very being. A sense of abject loneliness, a sense of foreboding. It was becoming overwhelmingly difficult for him to breathe.

 

He felt Sanghyuk pull him towards the couch, lay him there. He heard Sanghyuk speak in hushed tones to the shaman. He tried to listen in, but he felt drained. His head was throbbing with an intensity he never knew a human body could handle. He vaguely wondered how in the world he handed thrown up yet.

 

He felt clammy all over, his eyes felt heavy, body like lead. He felt himself slipping. Cold hands were on his face, checking what, he knew not. He frantically tried to move away, but only succeeded so much because of the space constraints on the couch.

 

He closed his eyes, willing the girl to disappear with sheer willpower. He didn't know if it worked because his body gave up on him, letting the darkness take over.

 

 

 

☙

 

 

 

When Hakyeon came to, Sanghyuk was next to him in a jiffy. Hands brushed against bangs clumped on his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

 

His eyes roamed around the scene. Blinding white surrounded him. And there was a constant sound of something beeping not too far from him. He tried to tug at his right hand.

There were tubes attached to it. Hakyeon felt sick.

 

He knew where he was.

 

"Why am I here?" His voice felt distant even to himself.

 

Sanghyuk tensed next to him. "You're sick, Hakyeon," He didn't meet Hakyeon's eyes.

 

"You promised," he whispered. Sanghyuk had.

 

Sanghyuk shook his head. "I told you I wouldn't ever let you go. This is me doing my best to keep you safe,"

 

Hakyeon pulled his hand away from Sanghyuk's. Ignoring the expression of hurt, he muttered, "Safe from what?"

 

Sanghyuk met his eyes, "From yourself. In your thoughts. From self-destruction,"

 

Hakyeon didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

 

Sanghyuk opened his mouth to answer, but before he did, the pristine white door to the ward opened.

 

Hakyeon almost screamed in surprise. The shaman was there. But something was different about him. And then it hit him. He wasn't wearing any hanbok. He wasn't carrying the drum and the fan.

 

He was in a white coat.

 

He was no shaman.

 

Sanghyuk got up from the bed and bowed to the fake shaman. "Good afternoon, Dr.Lee,"

 

The doctor nodded his greeting and walked over to Hakyeon's side. He examined his eyes, shining a torch into them. He checked his heartbeat and fiddled with the tubes attached to his hand. "How are you feeling?"

 

Hakyeon barked a laugh at that. "Betrayed,"

 

Sanghyuk flinched but did not comment.

 

"Has he been taking the pills regularly?" The doctor directed the question to Sanghyuk who nodded a yes.

 

Hakyeon glared at Sanghyuk. He didn't need any pills. He just about made his opinion about the whole ordeal voiced when a throbbing headache took over. It felt almost like someone was hammering his head, trying to split it open.

 

"Nurse," the doctor called out, and a woman in white rushed in with a syringe and emptied its contents into one of the bags attached to the tubes going through Hakyeon's veins. The relief wasn't immediate, but it helped, albeit slowly.

 

Sanghyuk's hands were back on his head, gently rubbing his scalp. He figured he could argue at a later time as he drifted off to a long sleep. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching.

 

He didn't need to open his eyes to know the girl would stare back at him if he opened his eyes.

 

 

☙ 

 

 

 

**_ Epilogue(Sanghyuk’s pov) _ **

 

Hakyeon had finally fallen asleep after having been adamant about not giving in to the hospital. He had been on a sort of defiant spree. He had to be begged to even eat food and take his medication on time. He had even stopped talking to Sanghyuk.

 

Sanghyuk pressed a kiss to Hakyeon's forehead before he slid off the bed. Thankfully, there was a table right next to the large window in the ward. He picked up his diary from his bag and propped it open on the table. Picking up a pencil, he began to write.

_Dear Diary,_

_I feel like all I ever do is fill you up with painful memories. I'm sorry about that. I don't have Hakyeon to listen to my whiny ass in recent times._

_Hakyeon… he is being as rebellious as he can. He hasn't spoken to me once in the past two days and I'm worried. I wish he would at least say something._

_Maybe it's all my fault. Maybe I shouldn't have asked Hongbin to act as a shaman just because he was refusing to go see him willingly. But I didn't know what else to do. And when Jaehwan said his brother was a psychiatrist, I couldn't resist it. I thought that fate was giving me a way out._

_Maybe I was selfish, but I never wanted Hakyeon to hurt. That's the last thing I'd ever do._

_Is it really that wrong of me to ask for Hakyeon's betterment? I don't think so. He's the best thing that's happened to me. And that will never change._

_I hope he gets better soon_

_Sanghyuk_

 

He left the diary on the table, deciding to grab himself a sandwich from the cafeteria.

A draft of wind picked up, fluttering the pages till it landed on an entry from not too long ago.

 

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm frightened. There's something wrong with Hakyeon. He'd been having episodes of migraines so bad, at times he even forgets what he has been doing. It's scaring me._

_That's not even the worst part from today. Classes ended early, so I decided to go watch him dance. But the minute I entered, I heard screams from all over the studio. Kids were running haywire, going crazy and pulling Hakyeon away from another one of his students._

_He was strangling her._

_That was beyond frightening,_

_But he's being adamant. He doesn't want to see a doctor._

_It reminds me of the incident from a few nights ago when he suddenly just jumped in front of that car. I thought he was going to fucking die. He was teasing me just before that and I never saw it coming._

_There's something really, really wrong with him._

_I wish he'd just listen to me._

_Sanghyuk_

 

By the time Sanghyuk got back, the pages had flipped to an older entry, one from almost two years earlier. Sanghyuk picked up the diary and read through the entry.

 

_Dear Diary,_

_I'M SO EXCITED I COULD SCREAM!_

_Ah, I have no idea if this really is happening. Argh Jaehwan that hurts! Yes I know you're right next to me, now go away so I can write! Phew, he's gone. Sorry for the distraction!_

_Anyway, the reason for my screaming. REMEMBERTHATCRAZYHOTSENIORIKEEPGUSHINGABOUT??_

_Well, apparently, Jaehwan is friends with him, which makes him my friend by default and I didn't want to jinx it, so I haven't talked about him to you yet, BUT. We've been friends for almost half a year now. AND. He, Asked, Me. Out._

_I still can't believe that he likes me. ME. PLAIN OLD JOE ME._

_He said he found me adorable. I don't mind if he calls me cute either._

_Gosh, I'm such a goner GAH._

_Don't me, he's so hot he's probably melted some of my brain tissue while smiling at me with those blinding white teeth. He's just so perfect. Please let me sob, I don't understand such perfection._

_Okay, I'm going to stop because the ink is going to run out and I need to pick out clothes for our date._

_DATE. Can you imagine? I can't! Ah, I'm still going mad._

_Right. I'll come back tomorrow. Goodnight!_

_SANGHYUK_

 

When he put the book down, it had large splotches on the paper, ink spreading through the droplets, erasing a part of Sanghyuk, as the part of those memories faded slightly with the weight of everything else on him.

 

The only thing that would never fade was Sanghyuk's love for Hakyeon.

 

꧁꧂

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> *peeks silently from behind the screen*
> 
> Uhhh.. Hello, prompter. I'm willing to bet everything I own(which isn't much btw) that this was absolutely not what you expected out of this prompt. Idk if I should apologise, because I'm kinda okay with how it turned out. I swear I wanted to take it in a whole different direction, but it somehow ended up like this GAH. I also swear chasang is my otp. But, I hope I did do justice to the prompt. As long as you liked it, I'm good.
> 
> And hey rest of the readers! i know it's kinda daunting to read a piece this long (is it like 8k+ words? I've forgotten), so I'm extremely thankful for each and every reader. And I'd highly appreciate it if you left kudos and comments if you liked it enough. But, thank you for giving it a chance any which way. 
> 
> I'm gonna shut up before I somehow end up writing another story out here. 
> 
> oH AND if someone wants to come talk to me : _[ChaaNssi](https://twitter.com/ChaaNssi)_
> 
> BYE!


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